<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>five for eddie by orphan_account</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23425384">five for eddie</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Other, anyway. reddie, did i mention reddie, genderfluid richie tozier, i wrote this instead of playing stardew valley so please appreciate it, im kidding.... :) unless?, mostly reddie i didnt really write much at all for the other ships but yeah, no this is not based on my personal experience...ahahahah unless, pining richie, reddie reddie reddie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:33:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,454</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23425384</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>If you asked Richie Tozier who the subject of their love letters, poems, and poetry are about, they’d tell you.</p><p>Unless of course; you’re Eddie Kaspbrak.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bill Denbrough/Beverly Marsh, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Patricia Blum Uris/Stanley Uris</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>48</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>five for eddie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>HELLO. welcome to my first reddie fic ummm ive attempted to write a lot and this is the first (of many, hopefully) reddie fic that i actually finished and am willing to post so here u go o___o</p><p>before u jump into it tho i just want to say a few reminders :DD</p><p>1. richie is genderfluid in this fic and goes by they/them! its really important to me as i am questioning so yeah.. if i made any mistakes and whatnot towards this aspect of the fic please tell me! i would hate to stereotype or wrongfully describe genderfluid people.</p><p>2. the time is set in the 90s but i dont think its that important or that i really highlighted it in this fic... however just for the heck of it please just pretend that homophobia is absent in their life for this fic okay thank you its what they deserve</p><p>3. i wrote and finished this last night so i apologize in advance for any errors and for rushing some things (if i did) :]</p><p>umm yeah i think that's it! enjoy&lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>If you asked Richie Tozier who the subject of their love letters, poems, and poetry are about, they’d tell you.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Unless of course; you’re Eddie Kaspbrak.</em>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>They wrote the first one around two months after Eddie moved to Derry for 10th grade. It was a short period of time, but Richie spent almost every single day with Eddie and the rest of the losers. Their friendship was strange. Even with all the petty bickering and playful teasing, they surprisingly got along really well. Eddie was easy to be with. He was soft and quite affectionate with people, but if you start something with him, he’d be sure to give you a mouthful. That’s what Richie liked about Eddie. He’s really nice until he needs to not be.</p><p>“Eddie, you have to go home,” Richie sighed, pulling at their best friend’s shoulder. “You know you have to be home before 8pm.”</p><p>Eddie sighed in defeat, walking sluggishly in front of Richie. “I know, I know, but I want to see the secret room in the library.” he stopped to turn to Richie. “The one Mike was talking about the other day?” his head was bowed down, but his eyes peeked at Richie’s face under his eyelashes.</p><p>“We can always see it tomorrow. With the other losers,” Richie stated as a matter-of-factly.</p><p>“Fine,” Eddie pouted. “But are you going to walk me home, Rich?”</p><p>Richie knew Eddie had a hard time at home. His mom was a control freak, and his dad… Well, Eddie didn’t know his dad.</p><p>“Of course, Eds,” Richie grinned.</p><p>“Don’t call me that,” Eddie said passively. Ever since Richie started calling him that, it just became a habit for him to tell them off. He intertwined his fingers with Richie’s, swaying their hands back and forth as they walked to Eddie’s house.</p><p>Richie felt their face get warm.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>As Richie headed home that night, they couldn’t stop thinking about Eddie. They’ve held hands plenty of times since they met. They do admit that Eddie was just affectionate like that to almost everyone. But today, it felt different. Richie didn’t know why.</p><p>They couldn’t sleep. Richie decided to get up from their bed and play their record player. <em>My Girl</em> stared playing softly. It was their mother's vinyl. Richie borrowed it to play for Eddie last week. Eddie said it was his current favorite. Richie made their way towards their desk. The streetlamp from outside lit their room a tad bit. They sat at their desk and turned their desk lamp on and took out their yellow pad paper and favorite pen.</p><p>
  <em>do i love him as a friend? i’m not entirely sure, but i know i love the way he laughs; the way his lips part as his eyes squeeze shut and his sweet voice fills the room. i love the feeling of his hand in mine, the warmth, and the way he wiggles his fingers through our intertwined hands. i love how his hair frames his face like a pretty picture, and i love the sound of my name coming from his lips, along with the smile that seems to be etched in my mind. i’m not certain, but maybe i love him more than that.</em>
</p><p>They ripped the paper off the pad and stuck it in their favorite book. Richie could never tell, so they wrote instead.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>--</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The second one Richie wrote was when they were at Stanley’s house for a sleepover. The losers were playing truth or dare, and the night was just getting started.</p><p>Bev spinned the bottle.</p><p>“You have to wait for your turn, dumbass.”</p><p>“I know that, Richard,” Eddie glared at him, smacking Richie's hand away as they attempted to nudge his shoulder. The two were bickering yet again, and the losers weren't surprised at all.</p><p>“Then stop fidgeting, spaghetti! We get it, you wanna lock lips with Stan’s mom,” Richie exclaimed teasingly, making kissing sounds by pretending to kiss the air.</p><p>“You think that's soooo funny, trashmouth?” Eddie rolled his eyes. "Ha ha ha well let me tell you," he brought his face dangerously closer to Richie's. "It's not."</p><p>Richie felt nervous all of a sudden. What was this? They swallowed the saliva that built up in their mouth. “Is too,” Richie attempted to retort.</p><p>“Is not.”</p><p>“Is too.”</p><p>“Is—“</p><p>The bottle landed on Richie. “Uh, if you guys are done with whatever that is, would Richie kindly pay attention?” Beverly said slowly, studying the two of them. Startled, Richie turned to face her. But before they could notice, Bev laughed. "The bottle landed on you, Rich." She had a devious smile on her face.</p><p>Richie was scared.</p><p>“So, what? Dare? Or are you too pussy for that?” she challenged and stared at their face. She wasn't going to break eye contact until Richie did. They knew that.</p><p>Richie tried to compose theirself. They sat up straighter and took on her challenge.  “As much as pussies aren’t meant to be insulting, Miss Marsh, no, I am not too ‘pussy’ for a dare,” Richie bit back.</p><p>“Okay. Good. I dare you to go in Stan’s closet for three whole minutes in the dark.”</p><p>Richie almost laughed. Really? That was it? Jeez, they thought it would be with Eddie or something.</p><p>“Easy. You think the Stan’s stinky closet scares me, mademoiselle?” Richie snorted. "I'm not even afraid of the dark, so I don't know what the purpose of this is."</p><p>For a minute, there was silence. Save for Mike and Ben's chewing from the popcorn they were eating. Where did they even get that?</p><p>“With Eddie." Beverly said it so slowly and crispily.</p><p>Richie froze, and the losers started laughing profusely.</p><p>Bev knew. Out of all the losers, Beverly knew. Richie didn't know how, but they knew that she knew. They could see it in her mischievous eyes.</p><p>But okay, being stuck in a dark and smelly closet with Eddie isn’t so bad. Right?</p><p>Wrong.</p><p>Richie already knew it in themself that they liked Eddie. They weren’t sure how to act this time. Of course, they’re just friends. But things like this, the other losers would definitely make a big deal about. Every time Eddie had to go in a closet during truth or dare, he'd give them a kiss. That's what everyone says, anyway. Eddie was like that. Richie thought his love language was most probably touch. But that's Richie's last. Richie's love language was quality time.</p><p>“Well? Go o-on, Rich,” Bill said impatiently. Stanley got up to open his closet door, with Eddie right behind him.</p><p>Richie stood up, slowly walking inside the closet. As Stanley closed the door, Richie sat down on the ground, knees to their chest.</p><p>Soon after, Eddie came in the room and sat down in front of him, almost tripping on whatever was laying around in Stan’s closet. Richie felt their face heat up again.</p><p>“Hey,” Eddie whispered. Richie couldn’t breathe.</p><p>It was dark, but as Richie brought their face up from their arms, they could see Eddie’s figure with the light coming from the space under the door. Eddie held his hands out, feeling for Richie’s cheeks until both hands were on them. Richie crossed their legs and put their hands to their sides, closing their eyes as Eddie ran his thumbs on Richie’s cheeks.</p><p>Richie could feel their nose starting to sweat out of nervousness. Eddie let go of one of Richie’s cheeks. With his other hand, he slid it down Richie’s shoulders. They opened their eyes. It seemed like Eddie was looking for something.</p><p>“Eds?”</p><p>As soon as Eddie found his hand on top of Richie’s, he took it into his own and locked their fingers together while he simultaneously moved to sit beside them. With this, Richie felt like they could breathe again. They closed their eyes in relief, comfort, and contentment.</p><p>Three minutes had passed, and before Stanley could open the door for them to get up and leave, Eddie kissed Richie on the cheek.</p><p>Only three minutes had passed, but it felt like a lifetime with Eddie by their side.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>That night, as the losers fell asleep one by one, Richie rummaged through Stanley’s room, scavenging for paper. They knew Stanley kept some stationery somewhere. He used it to send letters to Patty, his long distance girlfriend.</p><p>
  <em>i’ve never felt the butterflies with you. i’ve never felt like i’m about to burst when you smile at me. instead, i feel my face burn up and and i feel as though i can’t breathe. when i look at you, i feel light, as if i were floating with the clouds. your laugh isn’t the best thing i’ve heard, but it is the one i’d like to hear every single day of my life.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>my mother told me that if you like someone, it’s butterflies and feeling like you’re going to explode. no one told me about the warm faces and held breaths, or the feeling of being as light as a feather. no one told me about the boy with his soft hands and an even softer heart. and maybe that means i don’t like you. maybe it means something entirely different.</em>
</p><p>Whispering a ‘thank you Stan the man’, they ripped the purple stationery paper off the pad and stuck it in their favorite book. Richie brought it everywhere, keeping it in their backpack at all times. And as risky as it was, they did it anyway.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>--</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The third was the day Richie painted their nails a sparkly silver.</p><p>“Yo, Richie!” Eddie called out from the front door. They were going to have a movie marathon today, and it was Richie’s turn to host.</p><p>“In here!” Richie called out from their room upstairs. As soon as Eddie got there, he jumped onto Richie’s bed, stomach-first. Eddie was the only person Richie allowed to go on their bed. Of course, that was a secret, since the other losers never tried going on it anyway.</p><p>Eddie noticed Richie's setup and grinned. “Paint my ring fingernail that color too, I wanna match with m’lady,” Eddie held his left hand out to Richie, humming a tune as he flipped through Pride and Prejudice, one of the books laid out on Richie’s bed. His fingernails were painted black, and some were already chipped.</p><p>“How’d you know?” Richie questioned the boy, tilting their head to the right as they took his hand, starting to paint on his ring fingernail just as he requested.</p><p>“Know what?”</p><p>“That I’m a girl today.”</p><p>Eddie looked up at Richie with a small smile. “Rich,” he said gently. “We’ve been friends for a while now. I pick up on stuff.”</p><p>Richie was confused. They looked up at Eddie's face, who was mindlessly reading a random page from the book. “What stuff?”</p><p>“Well, for starters,” Eddie sat up, crossing his legs. Richie adjusted themself to face Eddie. They were in front of each other now, still on Richie’s bed, with their knees touching. “You only paint your nails a glitter color or light purple when you wake up a girl. Plus, don’t think I don’t see the tiny smoked wing on your eyelid,” Eddie laughed.</p><p>Richie smiled so wide, they thought their mouth would get stuck in that position forever. They never thought that anyone, much less Eddie, would pay attention to that kind of stuff. It made Richie feel important and loved.</p><p>Without a word, Richie got back to painting over Eddie's ring fingernail. The two sat together in silence until Bill arrived with Ben right behind him.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>While Eddie went on a bathroom break, Richie took their favorite book again. This time, they wrote on one of the empty first pages.</p><p>
  <em>i always feel like myself when i’m with you. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>when i’m not, i feel as though a part of me is missing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>is that too cliche?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>i'd be cliche for you.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>--</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The fourth one was after Eddie left Derry for senior high school.</p><p>Of course, he would come back every summer and spend time with the losers again, but everyone knew it would be different. The losers didn’t really know why he had to move schools in the first place, but Richie did. It was because Eddie’s stupid dad finally came in the fucking picture, and Sonia wanted Eddie to stay away from the losers. To her, it was perfect. She thought Eddie needed a father, and that by the end of summer Eddie would have already made new friends and would have forgotten about the losers.</p><p>“Bye, Richie,” Eddie hugged them tightly, his eyes squeezed shut as he fought back tears. The two grew significantly over the past few years, but still, Eddie was about four inches shorter. Richie gripped onto Eddie’s shirt, hugging him as tight as they could. They felt weak, but they tried.</p><p>As Eddie let go, they locked eyes for a moment and briefly held each other’s hands. They squeezed Eddie’s hand before slowly letting go, as Bev was waiting for her turn. Her nose was red. Like she’d been crying buckets.</p><p>Eddie said that he wanted to say goodbye to Richie first. He said he didn’t think he could leave if he saw Richie’s face last.</p><p>Richie stood there, staring at Eddie; watching him say goodbye to each loser. At that moment they couldn’t feel anything at all. But as soon as Eddie rode the car, as soon as he looked at Richie one last time, they started crying. The tears wouldn’t stop flowing.</p><p>The losers brought him home.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>in the swaying of the leaves from the trees</em>
</p><p>
  <em>the chirping of birds under the warm sun</em>
</p><p>
  <em>i see you</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>behind every joke</em>
</p><p>
  <em>every ridiculous encounter</em>
</p><p>
  <em>i think of you</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>in the crashing of waves against the shore</em>
</p><p>
  <em>and in the crackling of the fire</em>
</p><p>
  <em>i hear you</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>where are you?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>do you know how i feel?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>i should have said something</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>--</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The fifth one was made the time Eddie came back for summer break. Richie was hesitant and awkward the first time they saw each other again after months, but as soon as they got to the carnival with the other losers, they felt a lot more comfortable. Beverly thought it would be a good idea to go. She said it'd be fun, and that it could be a party of some sort, to celebrate Eddie coming home for the summer.</p><p>“FERRIS WHEEL!” Beverly shouted as soon as they'd arrive, dragging Bill towards it. He laughed and slumped over, suggesting Beverly ride on his back. They looked cute.</p><p>Eddie raised his eyebrows at the scene and turned to Richie, who was standing right beside him. “I mean, I know she loves ferris wheels, but what was that about?”</p><p>The pair started dating shortly after Eddie left. How it came to be, Richie wasn’t sure, but they didn’t really care. "After you left, I had to watch that happen," Richie shivered. "It was horrific."</p><p>Eddie laughed. Oh how Richie missed his laugh. Richie smiled to themself. They started walking towards the ferris wheel again.</p><p>“So Rich, wanna go on the wheel with me?” Eddie locked his arms with theirs, lightly skipping in excitement. Richie looked up at the wheel. Seeing as though the ferris wheel cart was designed to fit only two people at once, Richie hesitated and glanced behind them. “What about Ben?”</p><p>Ben piped up from behind them before Eddie could speak. “It’s okay, you guys, I’ll stay back. I’m afraid of heights," he let out a huff, trying to force a laugh.</p><p>That was a lie. Richie knew that was a lie. Why would Ben lie?</p><p>Eddie laughed again. Damn, Richie could hear that every day. “Really, Benny boy? I didn't know that. I remember you jumping so fast down to the lake after Bev did,” he smiled widely, opening his arms to hug Ben. “Man, I missed you a lot!”</p><p>Ben's cheeks tinted pink and he hugged him back, patting his back. “I don't remember that, but I missed ‘ya too, bud. Now go before it starts and you have to wait another 15 goddamn minutes,” he pushed Eddie off, gesturing Richie to go on with Eddie. "I'll wait out for Mike." Stan was allegedly sick, but everyone thought he just snuck off to see Patty. Mike was on duty at the horror house, and his shift would be over in half an hour or so.</p><p>As soon as they got there, the conductor helped Richie and Eddie get in their cart, and after checking up on the other passengers, he rang a bell, signaling the start of the ride.</p><p>As soon as their cart got more than halfway up, Eddie closed his eyes and grabbed onto the rail with his left hand, while his right held onto Richie’s. Richie was surprised. They finally felt it this time. They felt it all at once. They felt the butterflies, the feeling of being on the verge of explosion; their face heated up and they couldn’t breathe well.</p><p> “I know what you’re thinking, Rich, don’t even say it right now,” Eddie muttered, embarrassed.</p><p>Richie was confused. “What?”</p><p>“That I’m a hypocrite or something, because I laughed at Ben for being afraid of heights and now I’m up here holding on to you for dear life.”</p><p>Richie laughed. They laughed longer than Eddie expected them to.</p><p>Eddie opened his eyes and turned to them. “Wha—“</p><p>“Ask me what I’m afraid of, Eddie.”</p><p>It had been a while since Richie said his name. Eddie. Not Eds, not anything else but Eddie. It rolled off their tongue and they loved it. Eddie. Eddie, Eddie, Eddie.</p><p>He looked at them slowly, momentarily forgetting about his crippling fear of heights and how high up they were at right now. “What are you afraid of, Richie?”</p><p>They had been staring at him. Their big glasses accentuated their eyes. Eddie was used to this, but the way Richie stared this time was different. He could see it reflected in their big doe eyes. He wasn't sure if he saw it correctly though.</p><p>Before he could ask, Richie leaned in. Eddie closed his eyes. This time, he closed it not because he was afraid, but because he knew what was coming. And he wanted it.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>Richie brought Eddie home that day. In the comfort of their sheets, with their legs and arms intertwined with each other’s, Richie had finally done it. They showed Eddie how they felt. But they didn’t show everything. At least not yet.</p><p>They disentangled themself from Eddie, with the other groaning in response. It had been hours since the carnival. The two had just woken up from a three-hour nap. Was it still called a nap? “Whyyyy,” he said, his voice muffled by the pillow he spoke into.</p><p>Without a word, Richie opened their nightstand drawer and sat upright on their bed with their favorite book and a pen. Eddie looked up from his position and tried to peek at what Richie was doing. They swatted him away. "I'll show you, hold on a second."</p><p>Richie started writing.</p><p>
  <em>eddie. that’s you. it has always been eddie. always been you. if today was our last, i’d relive every moment i had with you. every meal, every morning, every walk home. even if it means i’d only get to experience us for a day; today.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>i would make waffles every day because you prefer it over pancakes. i would wake up earlier each day to pick you up and walk with you to school and back home. i would watch you fall in love with strangers and friends and acquaintances and everything in this world.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>if it means i get to spend every single day with you, i would. no one told me this thing about love, but i know it is what it is.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>you are this and you are that</em>
</p><p>
  <em>you are everything, and yet, you are one thing</em>
</p><p>
  <em>you are you with the universe inside</em>
</p><p>
  <em>im but a mere planet in the vast unknown of you</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>i love you endlessly, eddie kaspbrak. i love you infinitely, forever and ever.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Richie closed the book and put their pen away. They laid back down and Eddie laid on their chest. Richie handed the book to Eddie.</p><p>“Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,” Eddie spoke softly. “Your favorite.”</p><p>“Read it, there are things in it for you,” Richie caressed his hair. As Eddie opened the book, the note slipped out. Eddie unfolded the yellow paper, reading silently.</p><p>“September 8<sup>th</sup>, 1993,” Eddie gasped, marveling at the date Richie wrote. “Didn’t I move here a few months before that?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Richie laughed. “You got me then, Eddie. You got me now.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>heyyyyyyyy! u have read it! yayy!! i apologize if its too short but thank u thank u thank u so much for reading u dont know how much it means to me! feel free to comment and maaaaybe give kudos if u liked it? ^____^ it would very much be appreciated&lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>